"This monkey truly has no good intentions!"
"This monkey is so vicious!"
"This brat is unreasonable, negotiation is impossible. It seems we can only suppress him by force!"
As soon as Sun Kong uttered these words, before he even mentioned the specific titles for his monkey descendants or how he would repay them in the future, he was met with furious scolding from the Buddhas.
The two sides, unable to agree, became confrontational once more!
"Sun Wukong, don't push your luck!"
"We, the Buddhas of Spirit Mountain, dare not bestow titles upon ourselves. We were appointed after the Investiture of the Gods, by the two Grandmasters of the Western Teachings. What are you, to dare to request titles for your monkeys and descendants as Buddhas?"
"What do you take our Spirit Mountain for?"
Guanyin was always the first to defend Spirit Mountain, and this time was no exception.
Sun Kong's reaction to this was simple.
He produced the Sun Moon Qiankun Furnace on the spot.
And proceeded to brew the Sacred Water Soup in front of everyone.
He then channeled his magical power to accelerate the brewing process, a smile on his face!
"Of course, I take Spirit Mountain as my home. Sister Guanyin, don't get agitated. Come, have some cool boiled water... no, it's Sacred Water Soup."
"I know, you were originally the leader of the four disciples of the Chan Teachings who defected to Buddhism. You held a very high position in Chan Teachings. But due to the numerous affairs of Spirit Mountain, you've been overworked and felt your cultivation and spirit were insufficient. This Sacred Water Soup is perfect for treating these issues, why not have a bowl?"
As he spoke, Sun Kong's aggressive demeanor vanished. He was no longer influenced by the primal demonic ape, prone to killing and exuding a murderous aura. Instead, he returned to his usual playful self and, with his own hands, offered the soup to Guanyin.
He even blew on it a few times to cool it down for her to drink, showing remarkable thoughtfulness and care.
Not even a biological brother could be this considerate!
"How audacious!"
"You dare to bribe me in public? Do you really see me as such a petty and opportunistic person? Do you think a bowl of plain soup will allow you to speak such grand words?"
Guanyin looked at the solicitous Sun Kong with disdain. She thought, this monkey indeed is cunning, knowing that to achieve his goals, he must try to appease the Buddhas.
But unfortunately, he was too late this time. Had these events not transpired, had the Buddhas not been humiliated at Jade Void Palace yesterday, Guanyin and the others might have given him some face and spoken to him kindly.
But now?
The Deputy Buddha, Burning Lamp Buddha, who embodied the will of all the Buddhas, had offered Sun Kong negotiations with good intentions, only for him to seize the opportunity and act with impunity. This made the faces of all the Buddhas darken, wishing they could devour Sun Kong's flesh!
Therefore, as the third highest-ranking figure after Tathagata and Burning Lamp, she, Guanyin, not only could not be bought but could not show any leniency. She had to scold Sun Kong even more severely to be worthy of her position!
Besides, even if she wanted to accept a gift, what was this Sun Kong offering? To bribe a high-ranking official of Spirit Mountain, he should at least offer a supreme innate spiritual treasure or an ordinary innate spiritual treasure. Instead, he offered a bowl of plain soup? Did he really think the Buddhas would believe in this never-before-heard-of Sacred Water... Soup? Did they not see that Guangchengzi's subsequent comfort after drinking it yesterday was clearly not genuine, but merely an excuse used by Primordial Heavenly Lord to send them away?
"You impudent monkey dares to mock me, you are asking for a beating!"
"Take back this bowl of plain soup! Don't think you can fool and entice me with such tricks. I, Guanyin, am a dignified..." Huh?
Guanyin was about to put on a show of refusing the bribe in public, but unexpectedly, the alluring aroma of the Sacred Water Soup caused her to unconsciously take a sip.
Even though it was just the smallest sip, it brought an exceptionally refreshing and refined sensation!
The next moment.
It was like bathing in a spring breeze.
As if being reborn.
Her heart surged.
Her primordial spirit was stirred.
Her cultivation was purified.
Her Buddha-heart was refined.
It was like the first time she converted to Buddhism and received the baptism of Buddhist teachings, causing her cultivation to soar then.
What a joyous feeling!
Even Guanyin Bodhisattva, who had declared she would not accept gifts and was unwilling to be a petty person, could not help but let out a sincere exclamation!
"Ahem, what was this soup called again?"
"Sacred Water Soup!"
Seeing that Guanyin had fallen in love with the soup and her tone had softened considerably, Sun Kong grinned like an obedient younger brother.
"Sacred Water Soup? Sacred Water Soup? What a wonderful name. I never imagined that in my lifetime, I would be able to taste such a delicious and refined soup."
"Now, I can confidently tell everyone that Sun Monkey, no, this key disciple for our Buddhist sect's future Journey to the West, is not lying, nor is he impersonating. This Sacred Water Soup is genuinely delicious. Not only does it beautify the complexion and detoxify, but it also enhances cultivation, purifies the Buddha-heart, and opens up my entire being severalfold."
As she finished the last sip of Sacred Water Soup, Guanyin, oblivious to the stunned expressions of the Buddhas, began to act as Sun Kong's advertiser.
And indeed.
The advertising slogans from Guanyin, the foremost of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas of the Theravada Buddhist sect, were exceptionally compelling!
"For a moment, it felt like I was listening to the two Grandmasters lecture personally, or as if I had the chance to receive direct transmission from the Ancestor of Dao. It was like returning to the Pangu era and directly hearing the Great Dao of Pangu."
"I must say, it was incredibly satisfying, exhilarating. Calling it Sacred Water Soup is too much of an understatement. In my opinion, it deserves a grander name."
"How about, Dao Soup?"
This statement.
Shocked the entire assembly!
On Sun Kong's side, he naturally couldn't help but be jolted awake by the system's continuous rewards for astonishment. Seeing Guanyin instantly won over by the Sacred Water Soup, he grinned with immense satisfaction.
However, the Buddhas of Spirit Mountain had a completely different experience.
"Deputy Buddha, why haven't you acted yet? Destroy this Sacred Water Soup, what are you waiting for?" Manjushri Bodhisattva roared!
"Yes, Deputy Buddha, this demonic monkey has used sorcery to bewitch Guanyin Bodhisattva! If you don't act now, none of us will escape!" Samantabhadra followed suit.
"Sister Guanyin, hold on! Sister Manjushri, don't be afraid! Sister Samantabhadra, don't rush! Deputy Buddha is likely compassionate and unwilling to kill him, so let us deal with this monkey demon."
Jubilant Sun, who had not been very high-profile in previous encounters, now intervened. While speaking to the three sisters, he produced the Immortal Binding Rope.
Just as he was about to channel his power.
At this moment, Sun Kong ignored their attacks and had no intention of fighting them. Instead, he ladled out bowls of Sacred Water Soup and directly offered them to every Buddha, Tathagata, and Bodhisattva.
Even though these individuals did not wish to become as infatuated as Guanyin and lose their composure, they could not resist the aroma of the Sacred Water Soup and their rumbling stomachs.
After all, since becoming Buddhas, Tathagatas, or Bodhisattvas, they absolutely should not experience hunger or have their stomachs growl.
Yet.
Today, it genuinely happened!
In an instant, all the high-ranking officials of Spirit Mountain, including Burning Lamp Buddha, had no time to scold or admonish Sun Kong. Instead, like Guanyin, or more accurately, like pandas drinking milk from a basin, they drank with ecstatic fervor!